Electro Scientific Industries, Inc.

Mark Alan Unrath

Kelly Bruland

Hisashi Matsumoto

William J Jordens

Clint R Vandergiessen

Ho Wai Lo

Mehmet Emin Alpay

James S Ismail

Stephen Neal Swaringen

Robert M Pailthorp

Donald R Cutler

Brian J Lineburg

Leo Benedict Baldwin

Brian W Baird

Mark Kosmowski

Glenn Simenson

Yasu Osako

Brady Nilsen

Peter Pirogovsky

Weisheng Lei

David A Watt

Keith Grant

Steve Swaringen

Douglas Earl Holmgren

Haibin Zhang

Jan Kleinert

Robert B Reichenbach

Spencer Barrett

John T Wen

Jeff Howerton

Guangyu Li

Chuan Yang

Alexander Anatolievich Myachin

Lindsey M Dotson

Ben Potsaid

Martin Orrick

Thomas W Richardson

Alan J Cable

Andrew Berwick

Jefferey Howerton

Andy Moore

Spencer B Barrett

A laser processing system for micromachining a workpiece includes a laser source to generate laser pulses for processing a feature in a workpiece, a galvanometer-driven (galvo) subsystem to impart a first relative movement of a laser beam spot position along a processing trajectory with respect to the surface of the workpiece, and an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) subsystem to effectively widen a laser beam spot along a direction perpendicular to the processing trajectory. The AOD subsystem may include a combination of AODs and electro-optic deflectors. The AOD subsystem may vary an intensity profile of laser pulses as a function of deflection position along a dither direction to selectively shape the feature in the dither direction. The shaping may be used to intersect features on the workpiece. The AOD subsystem may also provide rastering, galvo error position correction, power modulation, and/or through-the-lens viewing of and alignment to the workpiece.

Acousto-optic deflector applications in laser processing of dielectric or other materials

A laser processing system includes a first positioning system () for imparting first relative movement of a beam axis along a beam trajectory () with respect to a workpiece (), a processor for determining a second relative movement of the beam axis () along a plurality of dither rows, a second positioning system () for imparting the second relative movement, and a laser source () for emitting laser beam pulses. The laser beam pulses of individually selected energies can be directed to individually selected transverse spot locations () one or more times during a primary laser pass to permit three-dimensional patterning. The laser beam pulses can also be directed to the spatially identical, overlapping, or non-overlapping neighboring spot area locations on the workpiece in a temporally nonsequential order.

Fast beam manipulation for cross-axis miromaching

The invention is a method and an apparatus for marking an article and the article thus marked. It includes providing the article. Generating a plurality of groups of laser pulses. At least one of the plurality of groups is generated by modulating a beam of laser pulses to form a plurality of beamlets. Each, of the plurality of beamlets, include at least one laser pulse. It also includes directing the plurality of groups of laser pulses onto the article such that laser pulses within the at least one of the plurality of groups impinge upon the article at spot areas that do not overlap one another, wherein laser pulses within the plurality of groups are configured to produce a visible mark on the article.

Method and apparatus for marking an article

Systems and methods for laser processing continuously moving sheet material include one or more laser processing heads configured to illuminate the moving sheet material with one or more laser beams. The sheet material may include, for example, an optical film continuously moving from a first roller to a second roller during a laser process. In one embodiment, a vacuum chuck is configured to removably affix a first portion of the moving sheet material thereto. The vacuum chuck controls a velocity of the moving sheet material as the first portion is processed by the one or more laser beams. In one embodiment, a conveyor includes a plurality of vacuum chucks configured to successively affix to different portions of the sheet material during laser processing.

Methods and systems for laser processing continuously moving sheet material

Laser systems and methods improve the processing velocity of the routs or other features to avoid exceeding the laser system's dynamic limits. A laser processing system divides laser processing commands corresponding to a plurality of features to be processed on or in the workpiece into process segments. Laser processing parameters and beam trajectories are simulated to determine a maximum processing velocity for each of the process segments. The laser processing system selects one or more of the maximum processing velocities for processing the plurality of features on or within the workpiece. A slowest processing velocity of the maximum processing velocities may be used to process each of the plurality of features. Alternatively, each continuous rout sequence may be processed using a different processing velocity. In other embodiments, each process segment is processed using its corresponding maximum processing velocity.

Laser systems and methods for AOD rout processing

Laser systems and methods insert a settling time before and after each tooling action. A peak AOD excursion generally occurs at the transition in velocity between inter-feature moves and tooling moves. This transition occurs both before tooling (on the approach to the tooling location) and after tooling (on the departure from the completed tooling location to the next location). By adding a settling delay on each end of the tooling period, the AOD excursion is allowed to settle to a lower value. This then allows higher inter-tooling velocities (for high throughput) while keeping the AOD travel excursion within the bounds of the system's AOD configuration.

Laser systems and methods for AOD tool settling for AOD travel reduction

Systems and methods provide laser pulse energy control and/or monitoring. An example laser processing apparatus includes a laser system to generate a beam of laser pulses and a pulse energy control system to adjust the pulse energy of each laser pulse in the beam on a pulse-by-pulse basis. The pulse energy control system includes an open loop feedforward control path that selects a pulse energy transmission value for each laser pulse based on a calibrated transmission curve that maps laser pulse energy as a function of pulse repetition frequency. A laser energy monitor measures the laser pulse energy of each laser pulse in the beam of laser pulses. A power control loop may further adjust the pulse energy of one or more laser pulses in the beam of laser pulses based on feedback from the laser energy monitor.

Laser pulse energy control systems and methods

A laser processing system includes a first positioning system for imparting first relative movement of a beam path along a beam trajectory with respect to a workpiece, a processor for determining a second relative movement of the beam path along a plurality of dither rows, a second positioning system for imparting the second relative movement, and a laser source for emitting laser beam pulses. The system may compensate for changes in processing velocity to maintain dither rows at a predetermined angle. For example, the dither rows may remain perpendicular to the beam trajectory regardless of processing velocity. The processing velocity may be adjusted to process for an integral number of dither rows to complete a trench. A number of dither points in each row may be selected based on a width of the trench. Fluence may be normalized by adjusting for changes to processing velocity and trench width.

Laser processing systems and methods for beam dithering and skiving

A method of accomplishing high-throughput laser processing of workpiece features arranged in a densely spaced pattern minimizes workpiece feature processing inaccuracy and quality degradation that result from dynamic and thermal loads on laser beam positioning and optical components directing the laser beam during workpiece feature processing. A preferred embodiment is implemented with a laser beam positioning system composed of a zero-inertia optical deflector of an acousto-optic beam deflector (AOD) or an electro-optical deflector (EOD) type, a galvanometer head, and a linear stage cooperating to position the laser beam among the workpiece features.

Controlling dynamic and thermal loads on laser beam positioning system to achieve high-throughput laser processing of workpiece features

Laser direct ablation (LDA) produces patterns cut into a dielectric layer for the formation of electrically conductive traces with controlled signal propagation characteristics. LDA processing includes selecting a dose fluence for removing a desired depth of material along a scribe line on a surface of a workpiece, selecting a temporal pulsewidth for each laser pulse in a series of laser pulses, and selecting a pulse repetition frequency for the series of laser pulse. The pulse repetition frequency is based at least in part on the selected temporal pulsewidth to maintain the selected dose fluence along the scribe line. The selected pulse repetition frequency provides a predetermined minimum overlap of laser spots along the scribe line. The LDA process further includes generating a laser beam including the series of laser pulses according to the selected dose fluence, temporal pulsewidth, and pulse repetition frequency.

Laser direct ablation with picosecond laser pulses at high pulse repetition frequencies

A laser processing system quickly and flexibly modifies a processing beam to determine and implement an improved or optimum beam profile for a particular application (or a subset of the application). The system reduces the sensitivity of beam shaping subsystems to variations in the laser processing system, including those due to manufacturing tolerances, thermal drift, variations in component performance, and other sources of system variation. Certain embodiments also manipulate lower quality laser beams (higher Mvalues) to provide acceptable shaped beam profiles.

Adaptive optic beamshaping in laser processing systems

A laser-based workpiece processing system includes sensors connected to a sensor controller that converts sensor signals into focused spot motion commands for actuating a beam steering device, such as a two-axis steering mirror. The sensors may include a beam position sensor for correcting errors detected in the optical path, such as thermally-induced beam wandering in response to laser or acousto-optic modulator pointing stability, or optical mount dynamics.

On-the fly laser beam path dithering for enhancing throughput

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Mark Alan Unrath